Prefabricated roof



Jan. 14, 1969- w, cHANEY 3,421,270

PREFABRICATED ROOF Filed March 10, 1967 Sheet 1 Jaw/v w. CHAA/EY 26 IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY Jan. 14, 1969 w, H 3,421,270

PREFABRICATED ROOF Filed March 10, 1967 Sheet 2 of IN V EN TOR.

ATTOQHEY I III/[j] United States Patent G 3,421,270 PREFABRICATED ROOF John W. Chaney, 932 Tiverton Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90024 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 280,269, May 14, 1963. This application Mar. 10, 1967, Ser. No. 622,140 US. CI. 5290 Int. Cl. E04b 7/02; E04b 1/00; E04b 1/32 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Cross reference to related application This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 280,269, filed May 14, 1963, now Patent No. 3,308,584, on Prefabricated Roof Structure.

Background of the invention The invention relates to prefabricated roof structures for homes and other buildings, of a type in which as much as possible of the construction work is performed at a manufacturing plant by mass production methods, in a manner producing a number of component subassemblies or parts which may be very easily assembled by relatively unskilled labor at the actual building location.

Though there have in the past been numerous proposals for different types of prefabricated houses or other building structures, none of these with which I am familiar has met with the commercial success which would be desired, usually by reason of such factors as the complexity of the subassemblies utilizedas the building units in the different systems, their excessive cost, difficulty of manufacture and/or assembly, inadequate structural strength, inability of the different designs to satisfy the usual code requirements, and other similar deficiencies. Because of these problems, most construction of houses and similar small buildings is even to the present date performed by conventional carpentry methods according to which the various boards and other components are cut to size, fitted, secured together, and otherwise almost completely shaped and assembled right at the construction location.

Summary of the invention The present invention discloses a unique prefabricated roof structure including a series of desirably substantially identical beams which are premanufactured at a factory and are easily assembled with an interconnecting ridge pole at the point of use. The preferred construction of the beams per se, and their manner of connection to the supporting walls, are disclosed and claimed in my above mentioned co pending application.

The present invention has the advantage of so locating the ridge pole that it may effectively interconnect the beams in properly spaced position, but with the ridge pole being received low enough relative to the beams to avoid interference by the ridge pole with the roof covering which is ultimately secured to the beams. More particularly, the beams may be defined as having upper surfaces which are inclined upwardly to predetermined peak portions of the beams, and as having recesses which extend downwardly into the material of the beams at those peak locations, and to a level beneath the planes of the inclined upper surfaces of the beams. The ridge pole is then received within the recesses, and is itself desirably located essentially beneath the planes of the upper inclined surfaces of the beams, and may be nailed to the beams to secure them together in spaced relation. Preferably, the ridge pole has markings which are preformed on it in a manner indicating accurately the proper spacing of the beams, so that the ridge pole serves as a measuring element or jig for facilitating ultimate assembly of the roof structure. The beams desirably carry brackets at the recess locations, which brackets may connect together two inclined top members of each beam, and which brackets may also be recessed in correspondence with the beams themselves for reception of the ridge pole.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective representation of a building having a roof structure Whose framework is constructed in accordance with the invention, with the framework being illustrated as it appears prior to application of the actual top roofing material thereto;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing the various prefabricated sections of the roof structure separately, that is, in exploded form;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary exploded view similar to a portion of FIG. 2, but greatly enlarged; 1

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view taken on line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary exploded vertical section illustrating the manner in which the parts interfit at one end of the building;

FIG. 8 shows the parts of FIG. 7 after interconnection;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 99 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a vertical section taken on line 10-10 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view representing the manner in which the ridge pole connects to one of the beams; and

FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 12-12 of FIG. 1.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring first to FIG. 1, I have illustrated at 10 a corner of a building having a roof structure 11 embodying the invention. The building 10 may typically be considered as of rectangular horizontal section, having two parallel vertical side walls 12 and 13 (FIG. 1), and having two parallel vertical end walls 14 (only one shown) disposed perpendicular to the side walls 12 and 13. Each of the walls 12, 13 and 14 may include the usual vertically extending two by four studs 15 to which are nailed inner and outer skin structures 16 and 17, which skins may take the form of four foot by eight foot panels of plywood or the like. As will be apparent from FIG. 2, the upper edges of skins 16 and 17 project upwardly beyond the upper ends of studs 15, to form top grooves 18 extending along the upper edges of all of the side and end walls. Within grooves 18 there are mounted first horizontally extending plate members, taking the form of two by fours received within the grooves and nailed to the upper ends of studs 15.

The roof structure 11 includes a series of identical parallel beams 20 extending transversely of the building and supported at their opposite ends on side walls 12 and 13. The end portions of the beams are connected to a pair of prefabricated top plate assemblies 21 and 22 extending along the upper edges of side walls 12 and 13. At the very ends of the building, above end walls 14, are utilized two end beams 23 (only one shown in FIG. 1). The peaks of the various beams are interconnected by a ridge pole 24.

Each beam 20 is of triangular configuration, being formed of a bottom horizontally elongated wooden member 25, two oppositely inclined upper edge boards 26 and 27, and a vertical panel member 28. Member 25 may typically be of nominal two inch by four inch cross section, and members 26 and 27 may typically be of nominal two inch by six inch cross section. The outer ends of members 26 and 27 project outwardly beyond the opposite ends of members 25, at 29, to support the outwardly projecting eaves of the building. The ends of member 25 are cut ofI to form inclined surfaces 30 which engage and are rigidly secured to the undersurfaces of elements 26 and 27, as by nailing or gluing these parts together. At the peak of the triangle formed by each beam 20, the two boards 26 and 27 meet at abutting vertical surfaces 31 (FIG. 12), and are secured together by a pair of vertical brackets and ridge pole supports 32.

Load forces are transmitted vertically from inclined upper members 26 and 27 to the lower horizontal element 25 through panel 28, which may take the form of a triangular sheet of plywood, or other fiat rigid sheeting material. The triangular configuration of panel 28 is essentially the same as that defined by members 25, 26 and 27, so that member 28 has a horizontal bottom edge 31 (FIG. connected to member 25, and two oppositely inclined converging top edges 32' of an inclination corresponding to, and attached to, members 26 and 27 respectively. As seen clearly, each of the edges 31 and 32 is received within a mating groove 33 formed in the upper surface of member 25, or the undersurface of member 26 or 27. The edges of panel 28 taper progressively as seen in FIG. 10, and the grooves are of similarly tapering cross sectional shape, so that the panel edges may nest very tightly within the grooves in a manner preventing any lateral shifting movement of the retained panel edges, and thereby assuring effective and accurate location of the panel relative to members 25, 26 and 27. The panel is secured to the other parts by gluing the tapering edges of the triangular panel to the members 25, 26 and 27 at locations within grooves 33, and continuously along the periphery of panel 28. Thus, elements 25, 26, 27 and 28 form together a strong prefabricated beam structure which is capable of taking very heavy load forces in use.

The end beams 23 which are provided at opposite ends of the building may be of different construction, to include a triangular outer skin element 34 which is nailed or otherwise secured rigidily to the outer surfaces of three triangularly arranged boards 25a, 26a and 27a. These boards 25a, 26a and 27a maybe structurally the same as, or very similar to, the corresponding elements 25, 26 and 27 of the rest of the beams. Element 34 may overhang the side wa l slightly as shown at 134 in FIG. 8, to provide for water runofi.

Ridge pole 24 is a rigid straight typically wooden member which preferably is of straight cylindrical external shape. The two connecting and supporting elements 32 (FIGS. 11 and 12)fsecured to each beam 20 or 23 may be formed of sheet metal deformed to provide an upper turned flange 35 which extends along the upper edge of element 26 at 36, then extends downwardly at 37 and back upwardly at 38 to form a 'U-shaped socket for receiving pole 24, and finally extends essentially horizontally at 39 for a short distance along the upper surface of member 27. Parts 26 and 27 are notched out to form together a U-shaped recess or socket 40 corresponding in vertical section to the shape of portion 37-38 of the elements 32. Projecting downwardly and outwardly from the flange portion 35 (36, 37, 38, 39) of element 32, this element has a radially outwardly projecting fin 41 which is received within an arcuate saw cut or narrow recess 42 formed in parts 26 and 27, and is secured to those parts by fasteners 43. Each of the fasteners 43 is driven horizontally through the wood of one of the members 26 or 27, and through apertures which are preformed in fins 41 of the two carried elements 32, so that each part 32 is secured tightly to both of the elements 26 and 27, and therefore acts to retain these parts together in assembled relation. It is contemplated that fasteners 43 may be nails, but it is preferred that they be fasteners of the type referred to as drive screws, that is, screws having a very long pitch so that they may be driven rather than screwed into their installed positions. If desired, a single one of the elements 32 may of course be utilized instead of the illustrated two, in each of the beams, through two elements are preferred.

As seen best in FIG. 2, each of the prefabricated top plate assemblies 21 includes a horizontally elongated top plate proper 44, which, like plate 19 is desirably of nominal two inch by four inch cross section. Plate 44 is adapted to be received within groove 18 above element 19, and to be nailed to element 19, with the upper surface of plate 44 then being received in horizontal alignment with the horizontal upper edges of skins 16 and 17 of the side and end walls.

In addition to top plate element 44, each assembly 21 includes a series of longitudinally aligned blocking members 45, which are secured to plate 44 by brackets 46. Elements 45 may be approximately of nominal two inch by five inch cross section, with the upper edge being cut at an inclination corresponding to the upper surfaces of members 26 and 27, and with members 45 overhanging the outer edge of element 44 a short distance at 146 as will be apparent from consideration of FIGS. 3 and 4. Adjacent ones of the members 46 have opposed parallel vertical end surfaces 47 (FIGS. 3 and 5) between which an end of one of the beams 20 is received and confined in assembled condition of the roof structure. Elements 45 are secured to top plate 44, in the illustrated relationship, by brackets 46, each of which has a first vertical portion 48 engaging an inner surface 49 of one of the elements 45 and projecting downwardly at 50 (FIG. 3) into a saw cut or other narrow vertical slit 51 formed in plate 44. Nails 52 (FIG. 4) are driven into element 44 and through preformed openings in portion 48 of each bracket 46, to rigidly secure the bracket to member 44. Similarly, nails may be driven through openings in the upper portion of bracket 46 at 53 (FIGS. 3 and 4) and into element 45 to secure parts 44 and 45 together through the medium of the bracket.

The spacing between parallel opposed vertical surfaces 47 of adjacent members 45 is accurately predetermined to exactly receive and confine a reduced thickness portion 54 of one of the beams 20. This reduced thickness portion is formed in the beam, near its end, by providing two vertical grooves 55 in the opposite sides of members 25 and 26, or 25 and 27, with the grooves being dimensioned to exactly receive and interfit with the ends of the engaged boards 45. The spacing between the inner surfaces 56 of grooves 55 corresponds substantially exactly to, or may be vary slightly less than, the previously mentioned spacing between surfaces 47 of elements 45. Each of the end beams 23 may have a corresponding vertical groove at 57 (FIGS. 1 and 2) in only one of its sides, for receiving an end one of the blocking members 45.

T o attach the beams in position, each bracket 46 has a portion 58 (FIG. 3) turned at right angles to portion 48, and disposed parallel to surfaces 47, at locations such that two of the spaced portions 58 engage opposite sides of each of the members 26 and 27, to be secured thereto by nails driven through preformed apertures 59 in portions 58. The end one of the elements 45 carries at its extremity a single bracket 46 which similarly engages and is nailed to element 26a or 27a.

The top plate assembly 60 (FIGS. 1 and 2) which extends along the upper edge of each end wall 14 of the building, includes a plate element 61 which may be the same as element 44 of assembly 21, except that it does not carry blocking members 45 and brackets 46. Instead, element 61 carries a series of spaced upwardly projecting brackets 62, which may be simple sheet metal elements (FIG. 7) received within vertical saw cuts or narrow slits 63 in element 61, and secured therein by nails 64 driven through elements 61 and 62. The sheet metal elements 62 project upwardly above element 61, at 65 (FIG. 7), and may contain preformed apertures 66 through which nails may be driven into member 25a to secure beam 23 to assembly 60 through the medium of brackets 62.

To now describe the manner of assembly of the roof structure illustrated in the figures, assume first of all that the various walls 12, 13 and 14 have been erected to the condition illustrated in FIG. 2, to provide four vertical walls having groves 18 extending along their upper edges. The roof is delivered to the building site in the form of a number of prefabricated units, including the required number of main beams 20, two end beams 23, prefabricated top plate assemblies 21 of proper length to extend along side walls 12 and 13, and prefabricated top plate assemblies 60 of a length to extend along the end walls 14. Also included is a ridge pole 24 out to a length corresponding to the length of the peak portion of the roof to be formed, and with the ridge pole preferably having formed on it markings 67 which are measured to indicate exactly where the opposide side surfaces of each beam are to meet the ridge pole.

After erection of the walls of the building, the next step may be to place top plate assemblies 21 and 60 within the proper grooves 18 in the tops of the walls,

following which these assemblies may be secured in those positions by driving nails downwardly through elements 44 and 61 into the lower plate elements 19 (as indicated at 68 and 69 in FIGS. 4 and 8). Also, nails may be driven horizontally through the inner and outer skins of the side wall structures and into elements 44 and 61, as indicated at 70 and 71 in FIGS. 4 and 8.

Beams 20 may be moved into position successively, by slipping each of the beams downwardly at the proper location so that its grooved reduced thickness portion 54 is received between the opposed end surfaces 47 of a pair of blocking members 45. Nails are driven through apertures 59 of brackets 46 and into the beams to secure the beams in these positions. Also, end beams 23 are moved into position, and are secured in their assembled positions by nails driven through brackets 46 and 62 and into members 25a, 26a and 27a.

The peak portions of the beams are secured in proper relation by locating ridge pole 24 within connector parts 32 carried by the peaks of the beams, and then driving nails downwardly through the ridge pole and into members 26, 27, 26a and 27a, as indicated at 72 in FIG. 12. Before driving these nails into the ridge pole and a particular beam, the pole and beam are accurately located relative to one another, by aligning markings 67 with the opposoite sides of the beam, so that the peaks of the beams are spaced proper distances apart, corresponding to the distances that the ends of the beams are spaced apart. Thus, the beams are maintained in parallel relation.

After the entire illustrated roof frame has been assembled, conventional sheeting or other roofing material may be applied to the upper surfaces of the beams, and the upper surfaces of blocking elements 46, and with this sheeting material being receivable above ridge pole 24 by virtue of the fact that the ridge pole is recessed downwardly so that the uppermost surface of the ridge pole is essentially aligned with the top surfaces of beam elements 26, 27, 26a and 27a (see FIG. 12). In FIGS. 1, 4 and 12, the top sheeting is indicated fnagmentarily and in broken lines at 73.

I claim:

1. A prefabricated roof structure for a building in cluding a plurality of similar beams, individual ones of said beams including two oppositely inclined upper members having upper surfaces which are inclined upwardly and toward one another to a predetermined peak location, said two members of an individual beam having having adjacent complementary recesses formed therein at said peak location, and a ridge pole to extend between said beams and be received partially within each of said recesses of the two members of an individual beam and at a location essentially beneath the planes of said upper surfaces, said two recesses in the two members of an individual beam forming together a combined overall recess which faces and opens upwardly in a relation enabling said ridge pole to be moved downwardly into the recess and then be retained therein, and said two members having portions which project toward one another at the underside of said combined recess and are secured in fixed relative positions prior to movement of said ridge pole downwardly into the combined recess.

2. A prefabricated roof structure as recited in claim 1, including a bracket interconnecting said two members at said peak location and lining both of said two complementary recesses but open to movement of said ridge pole downwardly into the bracket.

3. A prefabricated roof structure as recited in claim 1, including a bracket interconnecting said two members at said peak location and lining both of said two complementary recesses but open to movement of said ridge pole downwardly into the bracket, said bracket having portions projecting into and retained and located within slits in said two members and having another portion defining an arcuate seat forming an upwardly opening ridge pole receiving recess shaped essentially the same as said combined recess formed by the two members.

4. A prefabricated roof structure as recited in claim 1, in which said ridge pole is externally substantially cylindrical, and said two recesses in the two members of an individual beam are both of upwardly facing partially cylindrical configuration to complementally embrace dilferent portions of the underside of the cylindrical ridge pole.

5. A prefabricated roof structure as recited in claim 1, including spaced markings on said ridge pole designating a plurality of predetermined locations at which said ridge pole is to be connected to a plurality of beams.

6. A prefabricated roof structure as recited in claim 1, including spaced markings on said ridge pole, and nails securing said ridge pole to a series of said beams at the locations of said spaced markings to form an assembled frame for a roof having said ridge pole located essentially within said recesses and beneath the planes of said inclined surfaces.

7. A prefabricated roof structure as recited in claim 1, in which said ridge pole is externally substantially cylindrical, and said two recesses in the two members of an individual beam are both of upwardly facing substantially identical partially cylindrical configuration to complementally embrace different portions of the underside of the cylindrical ridge pole, there being a bracket interconnecting said two members at said peak location and lining both of said two complementary recesses but open to movement of said ridge pole downwardly into the bracket, said bracket having a peripheral flange projecting into and retained and located within slits in said two members and having a portion connected to said flange and defining an arcuate seat forming an upwardly facing ridge pole receiving recess shaped essentially the same as said combined recess formed by the two members, and nails extending through said members and said flange to secure said bracket to the members.

8. A prefabricated roof structure as recited in claim 1, including a bracket interconnecting said two members at said peak location and lining both of said two complementary recesses but open to movement of said ridge pole downwardly into the bracket, said bracket having a peripheral flange projecting into and retained and located within slits in said two members and having another portion defining an arcuate seat forming an upwardly opening ridge pole receiving recess shaped essentially the same as said combined recess formed by the two members, and nails extending through said members and said flange to secure said bracket to the members.

9. A prefabricated roof structure for a building including a plurality of similar beams, individual ones of said beams including two oppositely inclined upper members having upper surfaces which are inclined upwardly and toward one another to a predetermined peak location, said beams containing upwardly facing recesses at said peak locations, a ridge pole to extend between said beams and be received within said recesses, a bracket interconnecting said two members of an individual beam at the location of said recess in that beam and having flange portions projecting into slits in the two members, and nails extending through said members and through said flange portions of the bracket within said slits to secure the bracket to said members.

10. A prefabricated roof structure as recited in claim 9, including a pair of said brackets interconnecting said two members at said peak location and having flanges projecting into spaced slits in the members, said two brackets having additional portions lining said recess at spaced locations, and at least one nail extending through said ridge pole and into one of said members at a location between said additional portions of the two brackets.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 457,418 8/1891 Hodges 5290 799,544 9/ 1905 Dennis 5290 1,103,773 7/1914 Jacobs 5290 1,532,695 4/1925 Harting 5296 1,629,150 5/1927 Colt 5290 2,047,721 7/1936 Wilson 52-90 2,187,087 1/1940 Leary 52105 2,214,886 9/1940 McKeown 5290 3,236,014 2/1966 Edgar 52270 3,308,583 3/1967 Chaney 5292 2,245,133 6/1941 Hopkins 52105 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

P. C. PAW, IR., Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 52l05, 639 

